The Raleighwood Blog

We've Moved!

2010-05-17T02:43:00.003-04:00

Well, to be specific, The Raleighwood Blog has ;-)

I am happy to say that I moved our new look online this weekend and as a result, if you're subscribed to this blog (THANK YOU!), please update your bookmark to: http://www.raleighwoodmedia.com/?feed\x3drss2 and if that doesn't work, try http://www.raleighwoodmedia.com/?feed=rss2!

Thanks for reading!

XoXo,
Lisa

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Link Shorteners

2010-05-12T11:59:00.004-04:00

I posted this update to my twitter/facebook profiles this morning, but thought it was relevant enough for a blog post.

Pet Peeve: Email & other publications using shortened links. It's fine for twitter, but otherwise, I want to know where you're sending me.

Here's my views on using link shorteners/url shorteners in your marcoms (marketing communications).

The Good: URL shortening is used to reduce the number of characters in any web link - most commonly used to fit a link and its related commentary/description within Twitter's 140 character limit. TweetDeck, a popular desktop Twitter application previews the link's actual destination when clicked. TinyURL (a free url shortening service) offers a preview so you can decide whether to continue to the link's destination or not (although it does require enabling and the use of cookies).

The Bad: Bit.ly, another popular link shortener, does not appear to have a prominent preview tool. From a professional standpoint, it does look appealing though because you can create an account and track the number of clicks your links get, etc.

The Ugly: The smart computer user needs to know where they are being directed on the internet! A lot of nasty viruses and malware are running around out there - and no one wants to deal with that.

While I appreciate the value of link shortening for twitter updates, I prefer not to see them on facebook, in emails, and even more so in online publications, blog posts, and articles. If not for the safety factor, there's the other reason that when I'm reading real estate updates or marketing updates, I've probably already read the article on Realtor.org or Mashable.com that you are linking to. There's no reason for me to click though to something I've already read!

So please - don't waste my time or leave me exposed to security risks when you're publishing links online :-)

If anyone has any tips on best practices you've experienced for using and sharing web links using link shortening, please pass them along! I'd love to share them here.

More Changes Coming to Facebook

2010-04-04T23:49:00.003-04:00

I guess I'm just getting old, but after seeing about 809374 changes to the facebook platform since I first started using it "way back in college", I'm kind of over it. The changes that is! Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan, but it looks as if soon I will only be able to "like" facebook in the future, instead of being a fan.

Personally, I think there is a stronger connection between a brand and its customers with the usage of the term "fan" instead of "like", but according to this recent article in the N&O, customers will soon no longer become a fan of your business, they will simply "like" it - just like the status updates of their friends. I believe that is oversimplifying things to a point of making them less relevant, but they didn't ask for my opinion ;-)

Nonetheless, those who hope to successfully attempt to manage their business (and brand) in an ever-changing online landscape should be aware of things like this. So be sure to read the entire article (it's short - promise!): http://blogs.newsobserver.com/techjunkie/facebook-dumping-become-a-fan.

Quick and Dirty Tip: Brand Your Signature Cocktail

2010-03-22T22:40:00.003-04:00

Just a quick look at a venue who has done a great job in branding their signature cocktails!

{And really, a tip that you could think about when branding ANYTHING signature. Your signature service, product, or you guessed it... cocktail!}

I had a fun dinner tonight after work with Adrianne and our significant others at our local Red Robin. I ordered their "Gold Margarita" and check out what was delivered to my table:

PS - Also a good idea? They put the prices of their cocktails on the table promotion pieces and their menus. I am a lot more likely to buy a cocktail if I don't have to ask how much it is! (You've heard the old adage: "If you have to ask, you probably can't afford it". You'd never want someone to think that about your drinks, right?)

One of the things I like the most about this idea? You could apply this concept to so many other products or services - not just cocktails!

NCB Show Recap - Part 1

2010-03-14T16:51:00.005-04:00

Last week I had an awesome, but exhausting, experience at the annual Nightclub & Bar Show (convention and trade show) in the always fun city of Las Vegas!

Along for the ride? My "Director of Awesomeness" / "Right Hand Man (Who Doesn't Get Paid)". That would be my boyfriend - Nick. (He was on vacation from work and never passes up a chance to go lose some money in Vegas, which as a result, paid for our $200/night hotel - yay!)

I will later recap some of the more enjoyable conference education sessions I attended (and provide a "how not to" on the one disaster of a session I attended) later here on the blog... but today, I wanted to start recapping the last day of trade show (for me at least) - the show floor!

My Director of Awesomeness joined me at the show on Wednesday for a day of checking out the newest brands, services, and the like - all slingin' their goods to the nightclub and bar trades. The unofficial motto is "work hard, play hard"... and honestly, that totally fit the bill. I was barely able to stand by the time we got to about the 150th vendor, but I promised myself I was going to make it all the way across the show floor to visit my friends from South Carolina at the Firefly Vodka booth - (Hi, Matt!).

So without further ado, here are the brands that I liked the most from the show. (This is not to say there weren't tons of other great vendors, but as you can imagine, many were geared toward security, lights & sound, other bar operations, etc. -- all things that a marketer and event planner can appreciate -- but don't really have much to do with my day-to-day work.)

Know Your Market
GoCruso.com
I met these folks after seeing about 20 other booths and since we didn't receive a tote bag on the way into our show, and I neglected to bring a bigger bag myself, my hands were FULL. (Nick's, too.) I was amazed that this was the first, and the only, vendor to provide eco-friendly tote bags (actually, any tote bags at all). I saw them from across the way and made a beeline for them. Genius! Just because they had the foresight to bring bags, they have my vote.

GoCruso.com is creating a "social networking site for the food service industry". They had a really impressive booth and staff, so I'm pretty surprised that the site isn't up yet - as of when I'm writing this post.

Let's Party
Spirit Foodservice
Festive straws and stirrers to work any event's theme! (Private label/custom products available!)

HookaLime
Never let the rind spoil a good Corona! These guys were smart enough to send show-goers home with samples... I'll be sure to try it out next time we're at the beach.

Scaled-Down Bowling
Nick LOVED this vendor. (There were two that stood out that he really liked - one of which will stay a secret for just a tad longer as one of my clients is going to be introducing it to the local market soon, and I don't want to spoil the surprise!)

BottleStar
A cute and inexpensive way to add lighted-pours to bottles. Fun holiday décor, no? Could also be fun way to add spunk to a dark bar.

TweetWall Live
Display buzz, tweets, mentions, and more. What I really love about this company? They charge an affordable one-time fee -- no monthly recurring fees!

Ok, that's enough review for right now. Tune in later this week for my second round of favorites!

You Know I Love a Good Commercial, Right?

2010-01-25T09:00:00.003-05:00

I also happen to really love animals. The following is a win-win for me :-)

Here's the direct link if you can't view the video above: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZOeWFBy75A.

Well done to Sears Optical and whichever agency/agencies had the opportunity to put together this project! (I think it may have been Sponge Chicago, based on the YouTube description.)

Swag: Send Them Home With Something They'll Value

2010-01-14T09:00:00.001-05:00

I am not a fan of junk. If something doesn't have a function or intrinsic value, I don't have much use for it. I realllllly need things to be organized and for everything to have a place!

Fellow local twitter user, @DanLondon (who also serves as the Director of Online Marketing at ShareFile.com), posted something I favorited a few months ago because it resonated with me:@DanLondon: Funny. Tech has evolved but swag is still in 1984 (not that I don't love my hackey sack) #isum09Since obviously this is something I'm passionate about (and no, I didn't know one could be passionate about swag), I'll occasionally share some things that I think make great alternatives to the keychain (don't we all have a keychain full of keychains in junk storage?) and the ink pen (if you buy cheap, they won't write anyway).

The very first feature comes from Eventbrite... a must-use utility for anyone hosting any kind of event (ESPECIALLY if you need to actually sell tickets). Specifically, this was posted on their facebook page.Click on the image above to view the branded chocolate poker chips in detail... a delicious takeaway from the casino-themed after-party they were hosting at a conference.

Oh, and their tagline? "Always a full house with Eventbrite."

Now that's what I call clever!

Local Business Spotlight: Creative Re-Branding from TS Designs

2010-01-12T20:52:00.002-05:00

A very cool company based out of Burlington, NC, the TS Designs "about" page notes:Among all the renewable energy structures, natural landscaping, and water-saving facilities, it’s easy to miss the answer to the question: what does TS Designs DO?
We print and dye t-shirts!

While that may not seem as sexy as a tracking solar array or biodiesel, we have a passion for making the best damn shirt you’ve ever worn.
They've launched a re-branded campaign to help illustrate the difference between their lines... in a manner consumers would easily recognize:
Not bad, huh? You can leave them some love on their blog if you like it, too!

Guilty Pleasure: Reality TV

2010-01-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

I hate the thought of watching sad or graphic tv shows with my downtime. Life can be pretty depressing, so why watch it for entertainment?

Some of my favorite shows are ones where they change someones life (Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Deserving Design, The Biggest Loser, etc.) and business-related shows (The Celebrity Apprentice)... I think this just merged those two interests together.

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/undercover_boss/
Premieres after the Super Bowl

I'm pretty excited to DVR this. I watched the extended preview online and of course, got a little teary-eyed (but that's what they wanted, of course).

It looks like one of the top leaders at Waste Management will be the first profiled on the show. What I think will be most interesting to see is if this is just a good marketing program aimed at building goodwill, or if it will actually lead to better top-down leadership at companies that employee lots of people.

PS - True confession, Nick and I watch Jersey Shore, too. Not changing any lives there, but it sure is good for some laughs!

{Image: CBS.com official Undercover Boss site.}

Thank You: Ian

2010-01-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

{Thank You: A simple "Thank You!" can go a long way. I'm sure that I forget to say them along the way, just like anyone else. I hope this blog mini-series helps me remember to say it to some of the amazing people I'm so blessed to know!}

Thank You: Ian

The handsome guy in this picture is my friend from college, Ian.

In case you can't tell from that mountain side pose... he is awesome.

How awesome?

Here's a clip from the email I received from him on Christmas on my Blackberry (yes, I know, but I promise I was only checking email and texts from friends and family with Merry wishes!).I told Santa about all your interesting projects and blogs online.... you may be getting a new client soon!
I've always known that I've been surrounded by some of the best people in the world and this just highlights a bit of that.

Ian is teaching in Istanbul, Turkey these days but Nick, my sister, and I had the chance to share a few stories and drink with him at The Pit when he was in town last fall. I can't wait to catch him stateside again or maybe meet up with him on one of his world travels!

Thank you for the support and friendship, Ian! Stay safe on all your adventures and enjoy Turkey... I hope you find a great sorority soccer team to coach there ;-)

Might Be on to Something Here...

2010-01-03T21:10:00.004-05:00

Evan, owner of SearchSage - a Raleigh-NC based search marketing consultancy, and I launched a joint project at the end of December (2009) just in time for the New Year's holiday.

Here's the skinny:
In a casual conversation one day about the vast array of options that Raleigh has to offer for New Year’s Eve (actually, for any day of the year), we quickly realized there was not a “one-stop shop” for that information… or at least one where you could pick and choose your destination based on your preferences. So we set out to create RaleighNYE.com – the place for all of your Raleigh New Year’s Eve details!
I wanted to write this post really quickly, mostly to say "Thank you!":
... to everyone who helped make the site a success by submitting events and feedback,
... to those of you who visited and checked out all that Raleigh, and the surrounding areas, have to offer,
... to those of you who shared it with friends, co-workers, etc...

Thank you times a million!

We launched the project on December 29th and in just a few short days, recorded 1,189 visitors, 1,480 visits, 10,855 page views, an average of 7.33 pages/visit, and an average time on site of 4:20.

While we are TOTALLY humbled by the amount of traffic that we received, we are most importantly insanely happy to infer from the results that the site has been valuable to so many (good time on site and average number of pages per visit).

To the restaurant and bar owners in the area: We sincerely hope that your businesses benefited from our site!

To the restaurant and bar patrons: We hope that you were able to find the perfect NYE party for you and your guests!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Details: Print-Ready vs. Ready for End Consumer

2009-12-27T22:20:00.003-05:00

I just posted this to my twitter account - and then immediately felt it was too important not to share in a more "permanent" fixture, like my blog.

@ncsulilwolf Pet Peeves from the Advertising/Publishing Industries: Print-ready PDFs (complete with cut marks) being posted to end consumer websites! UGH
I'll call the offending party out by name, because I know they are much too large to care. I was on the GE consumer products website tonight looking for a manual for a universal remote control (so I can watch Dirty Dancing on the TV here in the office while I work, DUH!).

Now, while the mission was ultimately successful, and I did find the manual, the manual that I found was actually not the one intended for end consumer use.

What I found instead was the print-ready PDF of the manual that had probably been originally sent to the printer. It had all sorts of margins, cut marks, directions, and more. And it wasn't 100% correctly formatted, so I kept getting all sorts of errors when trying to scroll through the pages. Unfortunately, this document should have simply been passed through Adobe Professional and cropped - at a minimum - before being published to the consumer website.

I see this happen way too often... in all sorts of industries and businesses! In 2010, we all need to take a few more minutes to focus on the details and ensure we're always offering QUALITY.

Adobe Acrobat Pro is a fully featured version of the Adobe Reader free software and is TOTALLY worth the price. If for no other reason than to make changes like this in case your ad or production agency sends it to you in a format not appropriate for consumers.

And no, this post was in no way sponsored by Adobe... but I do find Acrobat Pro more and more useful each day. (That also goes for Photoshop, Dreamweaver, etc.)

FYI for Bloggers and Brands

2009-12-11T21:24:00.005-05:00

Unless you've been hiding from media headlines since October, there's a good chance to heard something about how the FTC (Federal Trade Commission - whose job is to "(work) for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them") is changing how bloggers and brands can represent each other online.

To read the full news release from the FTC, visit http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm.

The changes actually affect all testimonial advertising, bloggers, AND celebrity endorsements. But let's just assume you're not a celebrity, or hiring a celebrity, for a moment ;-)

So how does this affect you?

The short and sweet is that when a review is given with non-typical results, typical results must be clearly outlined. The other point is that the connection between the consumer and brand must be disclosed. ie: The posting blogger must disclose that he/she was contacted by the brand and what the terms were, if it's a brand they're personally representing, doing it for a family member, etc., etc.

And for Heaven's sake, never create misleading content. It's a big no-no in advertising and blogging crosses into that territory.

Of course, this blog post in no means constitute any sort of legal advice and you should always, ALWAYS read the rules for yourself and consult your own legal counsel if you have any questions about how to interpret any guidelines.

Visit http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm and look under "related items" to download the latest guidelines for endorsements. (These are always subject to updating and revisions, so I'm not posting a link to the current document - instead, I'm telling you where you can find the most recent version.)

Client Event Spotlight: Brittany's Battle, Inc. - Annual Angel Gala

2009-11-13T16:56:00.004-05:00

Brittany's Battle
2nd Annual Angel Gala

Date: Sunday, Nov. 22nd
Time: 5pm to 8pm
Venue: 1705 Prime
1705 E. Millbrook Road - Raleigh NC

Get Your Tickets Now!
Tickets can be purchased through eTix.com. The cost is $30.00 for individual tickets prior to Nov 15, 2009. The cost will be $35.00 after Sunday, November the 15th, so be sure to buy your tickets online this weekend!
Gala Features
With every ticket purchase, you will be automatically entered to win fabulous door prizes - including a TV with a built in DVD player compliments of Alco Electronics!

There will be appetizers, light buffet dinner, dancing, desserts, a silent auction, an online auction, cash bar, door prizes, and more chances to win wonderful prizes.

Some aution items include a trip to the NASCAR All-Star race in May, a weeks stay in an ocean front suite in Wrightsville Beach, an autographed hockey stick signed by the Carolina Hurricanes, tickets to UNC & NCSU events, gifts baskets for all ages and tastes, and much more!

The online auction - hosted by ebay and featuring exciting autographed items from country music's finest - will go live a few days before the Gala and will end a few days after the Gala.
Be sure to visit BrittanysBattle.org for more information! Hope to see some of you there :-)

Double Classy

2009-11-12T11:48:00.005-05:00

Since their launch (maybe just over a year ago?), I have been a huge fan of Southern Weddings. Based out of our neighboring Chapel Hill, NC., I don't subscribe to many weddings blogs, but they sure make the cut.

Nonetheless, I was totally in awe of their Veteran's Day post, which expands beyond one day of respect for those who tirelessly serve our country. Not only are they providing a copy of their newest issue (which is sure to be an early sell-out), but they are including some Southern goodies, too. I'm sure they're also including the shipping in that offer.

How many magazines, or businesses in general, do you think would do that?

http://www.swsmag.net/blog/2009/11/11/todays-the-day-well-half-the-day-mega-photo-contest.html

All you need to do is read the very last line of the blog post, but you might as well enjoy the entertaining pictures while you're there!

Kudos to Lara, Emily, Katharine, & Whitney!
(Hope I didn't leave any SW team members out!)

But Target, I Didn't Buy Anything... I Swear!

2009-10-28T10:10:00.003-04:00

I thought it was fairly interesting that I received an email from Target.com this morning with the subject line, "Thoughts on what you bought? Write a review."

I thought to myself, "When did you buy something online?" (Because I haven't.)

And then I thought to myself, "Are they now emailing me after I buy in store?" (And then I realized they don't have any sort of loyalty tracking cards (like Best Buy's Reward Zone), and I don't have a Target credit card, so that couldn't be it, either.

Inside the email there was a graphic encouraging me to write a review and a list below of some of my "latest buys". Unfortunately, it was blank... because I said before, I haven't made any online purchases.

While I think this is a GREAT email campaign to send a few weeks after an online purchase (giving the customer time to receive and use their purchased items), it really isn't effective when there is no purchase made to back it up.

I, as a review-reading consumer, definitely don't want customers writing review for products that they haven't given any thoughtful use to personally - and I can't imagine Target does either if they value the quality of their peer review system.

Quick and Dirty Tip: Email Marketing "Reply-To" Email Address

2009-10-23T22:39:00.003-04:00

If your email marketing provider (Constant Contact, Fishbowl, Emma, or - our Raleighwood Media Group exclusive email marketing provider - iContact.com) does not provide an opportunity to specify your "Reply-To" email address, you should be dumping them immediately for one who does.

I personally can attest that iContact.com does let you customize this very important part of your marketing emails. Never, never, never does a client email go out that does not have a "Reply-To" email address set up as part of their campaign.

Why is this so important, you may ask?

Habit - Because the "reply" function has become the ingrained way in all of us to respond to an email. I mean... it just kind of makes sense, right?

I, for one, am highly likely to hit "reply" in a heart beat, but I may not be paying the closest attention as to where that email message is going. Unfortunately, messages I send in response to commercial email often "bounce back" since the message got sent to an email address that didn't actually exist. And if I'm doing it, I know others are, too.

Ease of Use - If you are encouraging your customers to contact you by email at any point in your marketing, chances are the "reply" function is going to be the easiest way for them to do so. As email users, we have become accustomed to the ability to hit reply and correspond in return to our original emailer. If your email marketing service does not allow you to set your own email address as the "Reply to" address, they are taking away your ability to communicate as we've all become accustomed to.

Keep It Simple, Simon! - As one of my favorite clients (Mandy, owner of Swagger Gifts) will tell you, you must make participation and communication between customer and business EASY and CLEAR AS DAY, or people will screw it up. GUARANTEED.

Communication is Key - It could tarnish your reputation, really! If the reply aimed at you happens to end up in the black hole of emails (ie: some automated email address that your email marketing company uses) instead of getting directly to you, you run the serious risk of looking to your audience as the type of business or individual that ignores, or doesn't return, email inquiries. No self-respecting business or emailer wants to be "that guy", right?

Questions? Feel free to ask!

Inspiration: Titan Nightlife CEO "Making Moves"

2009-10-15T14:48:00.003-04:00

Feeling a little uninspired? The dreary weather here in Raleighwood sure isn't helping, but how about a dose of "man, that is one motivated entrepreneur"?

Check out this feature in Nightclub & Bar Magazine on the Titan Nightlife CEO who not only is making his way through recovery from spinal cord injury - that left him unable to move from the neck down - but is also opening a new business concept at the same time. Talk about determination!
Making Moves
"On May 10 this year, Titan Nightlife Group CEO Scott Frost’s life changed forever when he was paralyzed from the neck down after a motorcycle accident. And in the weeks that followed, his business changed forever too, growing rapidly under Frost’s leadership from a rehabilitation center."
Read the full article online.

Thanks for being such an inspiring guy for entrepreneurs everywhere, Scott - and best luck for a continued recovery!

I'm looking forward to checking out Hussong’s Cantina (look on the flash page under "What We Do" and "Projects" for the link - another reason I hate flash website) at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas (one of my favorite hotel in Vegas, by the way) this upcoming March!

Did Someone Say Cocktails?

2009-10-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

Definitely on our calendar!

Here's the link to Bogart's website if you want to check out the skinny on them before the event or scope out directions.

Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals

2009-09-29T16:04:00.003-04:00

If you weren't a business major or didn't go to biz school, there's a good chance you may never have seen this before. I don't know how people set goals and plans of action without it though - I guess they just have big, lofty aspirations and no clue how to measure the results?

Criteria for SMART goals:
S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Attainable
R = Realistic
T = Timely

Here's a great overview I found online from the Goal Setting Guide. It provides an in-depth breakdown of each (more than just the definition I'm including below).

Specific - Goals should be straightforward and emphasize what you want to happen. Specifics help us to focus our efforts and clearly define what we are going to do.

Measurable - If you can't measure it, you can't manage it.

Attainable - When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true.

Realistic - This is not a synonym for "easy." Realistic, in this case, means "do-able."

Timely - Set a timeframe for the goal: for next week, in three months, by fifth grade. Putting an end point on your goal gives you a clear target to work towards.Putting these 5 points to work in any goal-setting or planning project are a no-brainer for me.

A lot of people may ask, "Why include all of these variables into every component of my marketing or business plan?"

The answer is easy: SO THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY MAKE YOUR PLAN HAPPEN!

Plus, you'll also know if the components of your plan were effective.

Free Advice: Don't Freak Out Over Keywords

2009-09-23T09:22:00.004-04:00

...at least not the keywords meta tags on your website.

From the Official Google blog:
Q: Why doesn't Google use the keywords meta tag?
A: About a decade ago, search engines judged pages only on the content of web pages, not any so-called "off-page" factors such as the links pointing to a web page. In those days, keyword meta tags quickly became an area where someone could stuff often-irrelevant keywords without typical visitors ever seeing those keywords. Because the keywords meta tag was so often abused, many years ago Google began disregarding the keywords meta tag.Click here to watch a short video from Google on this topic.

Now writing effective copy for each page of your website - utilizing keywords, links, and more - well that, is another story.

Raleighwood Soundtrack: "It Ain't Hocus Pocus"

2009-08-30T13:03:00.005-04:00

Raleighwood Soundtrack: The official background noise of Raleighwood Media Group + Raleighwood Event Group
"It ain't Hocus Pocus,
you've gotta stay focused,
if you want a good delivery."Cross Canadian Ragweed - "Kick in the Head"

I stumbled upon this group years ago with their singles "Alabama (new version | original version)" and "Sick and Tired" (both from their 2004 Soul Gravy album, but the original "Alabama" was from the Cross Canadian Ragweed (Purple) album.) and I love it when Pandora delivers other songs from them off their albums that I've never heard before. "Kick in the Head" is actually a free download I received as a "thank you" for opting-in to their new email list. i think it's a GENIUS idea and lots of other musicians could take a note from that campaign.

They make my very first Raleighwood Soundtrack post, because I'm in serious need of some focus at the moment, so the lyrics obviously hit home in a big way!

Rave of the Day: Freshbooks

2009-08-10T13:28:00.002-04:00

Short and sweet here.

My rave of the day? Freshbooks. (Found out about them because they sponsored BarCampRDU... which I didn't get to go to, but am certainly trying to next time! Stupid busy schedule of mine.)FreshBooks Manifesto

Our mission is to deliver fast and simple invoicing and time tracking services that help you manage your business. We call these Unaccounting™ services.I'm trying out their online service to see if it'll be a good fit for Raleighwood. I can't say enough good things about their "rockstar service" and personal service! I was typing too fast during registration and included an extra "o" in Raleighwood... making for an awkward subdomain. They fixed it with one email... and even cheered me on!

I also receive a phone call today to follow-up on my registration and see how I was liking it and if I had any questions.

There are a few things I will pay for that I could do myself. It's almost ALWAYS paired with fantastic customer service. iContact.com Agency (my account manager, Kate, is also a rockstar) and Freshbooks are totally on that list.

"It's 2009, We Know What to Do at the Beep"

2009-08-04T09:00:00.001-04:00

This is funny, and yet legitimate, at the same time.

Cell phone users, send a message
David Pogue, NY Times

I've been ranting lately about one particularly blatant money-grab by U.S. cell phone carriers: the mandatory 15-second voicemail instructions.

Suppose you call my cell to leave me a message. First you hear my own voice: "Hi, it's David Pogue. Leave a message, and I'll get back to you" -- and THEN you hear a 15-second canned carrier message.

...

These messages are outrageous for two reasons. First, they waste your time. Good heavens: It's 2009. WE KNOW WHAT TO DO AT THE BEEP.

...

Second, we're PAYING for these messages. These little 15-second waits add up -- big-time. If Verizon's 70 million customers leave or check messages twice a weekday, Verizon rakes in about $620 million a year. That's your money. And your time: three hours of your time a year, just sitting there listening to the same message over and over again every year.

...

Let's push back, and hard. We want those time-wasting, money-leaking messages eliminated, or at least made optional.
Read the full article here and if you're so inclined (like I am), send your carrier a little note and let them know that there is in fact, some merit to this argument.

After all, like David says, it is YOUR time and money.

Cool Job Feature: NASCAR Managing Director of Green Innovation

2009-08-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

Yes, that's actually Mike Lynch's title over at NASCAR. (Insert my jealous face here!)

This NY Times article ("A Fuel-Belching Nascar Track Has Big Plans for Solar Power") talks about the plan to install a solar field at Pocono Raceway which will not only save the raceway hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in energy price increases from deregulation, but it will also potentially yield millions of revenue in reselling the energy collected by the field.

Side Note: NYTimes.com has a very cool feature that I just noticed. When you highlight/select text (ie: to copy and paste into an email to your friends about Mike Lynch's cool job), a little question mark icon pops up. If you click on it, it'll search the rest of NYTimes.com for more matches. I like it, and I like it a lot.

You can read a short interview with Mike Lynch on NASCAR.com here.

If I were in his shoes, my first step would be getting all of the tracks to add a LOT more recyclables containers and make them as highly visible as possible. On my last visit to Charlotte's Lowe's Motor Speedway, they were unfortunately few and far between... and thus, completely full and overflowing most of the time. Beer cans = aluminum!

The picture to the right is of my own taking (notice the Blackberry camera quality). I see printed/junk paper materials, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans... all of which can be recycled instead of trashed.

Some Event Planning Inspiration for Party People

2009-07-29T16:31:00.004-04:00

When googling images for "floating pool decor" (yes, I said it), the following came up in the search results:
Cool Idea: Floating Flower Balls via CasaSugar.com
Not exactly what I was looking for, but it is still a great picture and definitely inspires some stellar event decor!

Thanks for the great picture inspiration, CasaSugar!

{Image: CasaSugar}

Tuesday Inspiration and Local Business Spotlight

2009-07-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

I hesitated for a moment before posting about a business owner who is starting up a local competitive business to one of my good friends and clients, but competition keeps us fair and honest and it's an inspiring story nonetheless.

From the News & Observer: After loss, a fresh start
Former printer applies his eco-friendly approach to a new business
You gotta admire a guy who never loses sight of the entrepreneurial spirit and commits to starting his business with an eco-approach, instead of waiting for it to become a staple instead of a trend.

{Image: From the online NewsObserver.com article}

Tuesday Motivation

2009-07-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

I had already served up a post for Monday of this week, so inspiration got moved to Tuesday. For me, Tuesday's are the hardest day of the work week anyways.

A bar in Chicago serves up good vibes, with a good promotion, and a contribution to a worthy cause to boot: "The saying is true: ‘The more you celebrate life, the more there is in life to celebrate.’”

Read the full article, Cheers to the Positive, on nightclub.com.

Two Quick "What Not To Do"s in Email Marketing

2009-07-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

I really, really hope my alma mater doesn't employ these same practices. Shame on them too, if they do.

In 2008, I signed up to make a monthly automatic contribution to the NC Children's Hospital (the "12 x 12 donation"). The NC Children's Hospital is an absolutely amazing, and absolutely necessary place, that I would support with or without its affiliation to the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. With that donation, they received my email address.

In 2009, I've signed up for the Morehead Planetarium email list. (Also cool, but not nearly as important as the Children's Hospital.)

You can imagine my surprise (and little bit of disgust) when I received an email last week that opened with "Hello alumni and friends of Carolina,"

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.

All jokes aside (and trust me, it could be way worse - not only did I graduate TWICE from another university, but I graduated TWICE from a RIVAL university), so why on Earth am I getting emails like this?

As I went to unsubscribe, I was taken to a subscription management page (ok - thumbs up are due here) where I found out I have been so kindly added to ALL of the following lists:
FYI Carolina Online
A free newsletter for alumni, parents of current students and friends of the University from the Office of University Relations. FYI provides information about people, events and issues at Carolina about six times a year

GAA affinity information
Includes credit card, insurance and similar programs

University and GAA events
Reunions, Travel, Lifelong Learning, Carolina Club news and events, etc.

University and GAA news
University athletic information and tickets

University schools and departments
Includes Business, College of Arts & Sciences, Dentistry, Education, Government, Information and Library Science, Journalism and Mass Communication, Law, Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work and UNC LibrariesWTF.

You'll notice that neither the NC Children's Hospital nor the Planetarium are on that list. But those are the only two institutions on the campus of UNC with my email address.

Clearly, I was about to be bombarded with emails that were not only irrelevant, but just downright unwanted. You want a quicker way to get people to just "Opt-out from all emails (Remove me from all current and future emails, regardless of any individual settings.)" and permanently ban you from contacting them ever again? I really can't think of one.

Sigh.

Lessons Learned (the hard way by Carolina):

1 - Know your audience. If your list doesn't come exclusively from a graduation or general university fund donor roster, don't assume I'm an alum (or even a friend). You're better off not using an introduction at all, unless you know for a fact that it will be all encompassing.

2 - Keep your contact lists relevant. Don't share your email address lists across multiple (often ultimately unrelated) business units.

eCycling in Raleigh/Cary/Durham this Weekend

2009-06-25T09:00:00.004-04:00

I posted this on my personal blog this week and then realized it'd be a great resource for businesses, too!

Electronics are probably some of the nastiest things that could end up in a landfill, so if you need to get rid of anything, here's a great *free* opportunity from Fox 50 and Creative Recycling to do so!

Our landfills are filling up with things that won't ever go away. Specifically, old, outdated electronic equipment which take up space and pose a hazard to our environments.

That's why FOX50 created "E-Cycling" Day:
Saturday, June 27th from 10am - 2pm at all 3 locations.

Come out and see us - rain or shine - in the parking lots of three Best Buy locations:

* Durham - Renaissance Center
(7001 Fayetteville Rd, Durham, NC 27713)

* North Raleigh - Capital Blvd.
(6101 Capital Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27616)

* Cary - Crossroads Plaza
(237 Crossroads Blvd, Cary, NC 27518)

It's so convenient. You won’t even have to get out of your car! Volunteers will unload your electronic items

And there's countless number of electronic items you can drop off.

Equipment Accepted: All electronic equipment is acceptable with the exception of manifested hazardous waste, radioactive waste and/or biohazardous waste.
Read the full info and see the list of what's ok and not ok to bring here!

Please pass this along or encourage your local media and Best Buy to model something in your area after this program!

Putting Outdated Office Equipment to Work

2009-06-24T11:15:00.003-04:00

Here at the family shop, we had an outdated computer monitor hanging around that was not being used. It was still in working condition, so I knew it didn't necessarily need to be recycled yet (and it definitely wasn't going to a landfill)... but what should we do with it?

I asked my network on twitter and got some GREAT responses!

@WasteDiverter, whose bio reads "Connecting those who have excess stuff with those who could use it", sent me a great link: City of Raleigh - Local Computer Recycling/ReUse Options.

The Purple Elephant Computer Factory for Kids will be receiving this donation from us this week! Their mission is "to bridge the educational and rehabilitative needs of children, and adults, by placing computer technology directly into the home". Sounds like a great use for this monitor to me!

Thanks, @WasteDiverter!

{Image: Purple Elephant Computer Factory for Kids website}

But What Do I Know?: The "Local" Concept

2009-06-23T15:24:00.005-04:00

Maybe it's just the OCD in me that gets me irritated when I see campaigns that don't really drive the message home from start to finish... I don't really know. But whatever it is, IT'S ALWAYS ON and "I can't turn this thing off" (attributed to a few of my college friends who used that statement for everything, often leading to very funny results).

Here's this week's "but what do I know?" feature (enter sarcasim here): I noticed on my daily drive this week that Citgo is running a new billboard campaign emphasizing locally owned stations with something along the lines of "Local. Loyal. (the way it should be)".

Maybe it's just me, but I think that campaign would have a little more "umph" behind it if it featured a local owner standing in front of his local station. I know, I know... there's more work and possibly a little more cost involved in running different prints instead of one same print everywhere, but we're talking effectiveness here. Citgo's probably shelling out millions in monthly marketing expenses - might as well make it good, right?

(Plus, I'm sure there are tons of local owners who'd be glad to have their station pictured on a billboard. Maybe even right below it or across the street? I know they'd do it for free and I sure don't think they'd even need to help contribute to the cost, but I'm sure some would.)

I've always been very cynical of the fuel industry and its marketing (we have some great family friends who own a few stations and they make the majority of their money... you guessed it... in the store itself and not on gasoline), but if you're going to try and tap into the local movement, at least put some crediblity behind it, ok? Pretty please? Thanks.

Email of the Week: Free Tea!

2009-06-22T10:00:00.004-04:00

I have to admit, I saw "McAlister's Deli" in my inbox and was thinking of unsubscribing, because I hadn't really benefiting from their email club that I could remember.

And then I got this funny promotion and an offer for free (sweet) tea... a southern staple at lunch and dinner!

"Imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit,
Sweet Tea must fight for freedom from the inside.

July 23
Take a sip in solidarity! McAlister's serves free tea all day.*"

Not only has McAlister's developed a clever play on the word "free" (meaning both free of cost and the need to be released from jail), but they've developed a web campaign, video mini-series, merchandise, and a facebook fan page campaign around it.

If sweet tea was ever locked up in culinary jail, I would for sure be one thirsty girl!

On July 23rd, I'll see you at McAlister for free tea! (And here's another month that I'm still on their email list!)

*Obligatory legal note: Only at participating locations, one per guest. Not valid for catering or gallons.

Email of the Week: Deep South Sucks!

2009-06-16T16:09:00.009-04:00

The first is from my friends at Deep South Entertainment, who with their crafty subject line and funny graphic inspired this new blog feature for me. The newsletter just happens to be from their bar, Deep South: The Bar. I'm a bit behind on my blogging, but this email was sent on 5/28/2009.

From: Deep South the Bar
Subject: Deep South Sucks!

(insert typical newsletter stuff and calendar here)...

And then my eyes got to this:

The subject line along with that funny graphic win my award for best email of the week! Too funny guys... well done.

Got a good one you think should be featured next week? Let me know!

You're Not Using Google Calendar?

2009-06-10T13:04:00.006-04:00

What??? Are you crazy? It's fabulous, free, and you can share (and keep private) all the content you please.

Check out this morning's News & Observer business section run down on the calendar provider and enjoy!

Gaga for Google calendars

PS - No paper trail to worry about losing or not keeping updated, either! If you desperately need something on paper, you can simply print the monthly, weekly, or daily views.

FYI for All Local Event Planners and Marketing/Promotions People

2009-06-08T13:31:00.006-04:00

I had no idea this resource was available from the City of Raleigh (and it's FREE, TOO!), but you better believe I'll be utilizing it as often as possible from here on out. I can't tell you how many events I've been to lately where I've had an empty can or bottle and thought to myself "Well huh... there's no where to recycle this here. Not cool!"

Going green may not be important to you, but I guarantee there are a lot of us out there who notice that it is not important to event hosts and hostesses, and that's a lasting impression that no event planner or host/hostess wants to send their guests (and potential clients) home with.

Event Recycling

ClearStream Recycling Containers Available for Loan

Raleigh Recycling can assist you with recycling at your event by lending you recycling containers. ClearStream recycling containers are easy to transport, are clearly labeled, and the transparent bags make them a breeze to monitor materials being placed in the containers. Containers are available on a first come, first serve basis, so make your request early! A maximum of 23 recycling containers are available. If ten or more containers are checked out you may also check out a rolling cart to tranport them on. There are no rental fees, however, if the containers are damaged or not returned you will be billed. We may also be able to provide a recycling truck for collection and/or display and would be happy to have a display table to help educate event visitors.

Green Planning

Reducing waste is much better than recycling or disposing of it. From the start, think green! Let folks know from the very first advertising (flyer, ad, web, etc.) that recycling will be available and to look for it! At the event, use signage and if possible, loud speakers to remind visitors.

*What type of event is it?

*What types of food and beverages will be availalbe? What will they be served in/on? If there are choices, make sure to choose the ones that can be recycled!

*How many vendors will there be? Make your vendors aware that you expect them to recycle and want them to be as waste free as possible.

*Identify which materials can be recycled.

*How many event visitors?

*Do you have sufficient garbage cans? Who will monitor and collect?

*Do you have sufficient recycling containers (at least 1 next to every other garbage can!)? Who will monitor and collect? Our recycling containers are clear allowing the public to clearly see the bin is for recycling so less trash gets in - especially true if you do not have folks staying at each station to direct visitors to the proper container.

*Are the bins clearly labeled? Are you directing visitors to the correct containers? Make them convenient and visible.

*Have you considered composting any of the food waste?

To request ClearStream recycling containers for your event, go to the Related Links frame in the upper right hand corner of this page and click on ClearStream Sign Out Form. On the Publications page, select the document "Sign Out Clear Streams" in either .doc or .pdf format. Complete the form and return it to Raleigh Recycling.

For More Information Contact:
Linda A. Leighton
Waste Reduction Specialist
Solid Waste Services Department
400 West Peace Street
Raleigh, NC 27603
919-996-6890

This is such a great program from the City, be sure to contact Linda for any other waste reduction needs. I've exchanged many emails with her, she is fabulous! I think I may send her an email now too, to complement her department on this program.

A Good "Top 10"

2009-06-04T00:39:00.003-04:00

I'd like to re-title the article I'm about to recommend.

Instead of the "Top 10 Reasons I'm Not Following You on Twitter", I'd like to call it the "Top 10 Reasons I Don't Give a Darn About Your Tweets". (Because for people I know and like, I usually try to give them a while to get it right.)

Some folks are just plain failing miserably though.

My favorites from Brent's Top 10 include: #10 - Your updates are protected (face it, you're not THAT cool), #7 - You have "social media expert" or "marketing in your bio" (for the exact same reason as Brent), and #1 - ... I'm not spoiling it! You'll have to read the article to find out.

So hop to it - it's a quick read and well worth it.

The Fray Goes Green

2009-05-27T01:42:00.003-04:00

I love it when the big boys get "green" right - mostly because they're creating impressions on such a large audience!

Via email last week from one of my favorite bands, The Fray:
The Fray is excited to continue our partnership with environmental group, REVERB, to "green" this summer's tour. We know that there is a lot of hype and trend going around these days attached to anything with "green" in the title, but this is something we genuinely believe is important and needs attention. We're bringing out local non-profit groups to each show in the Eco-Village to put you closer to the solution, with no big corporations pedaling the latest junk you should or shouldn't buy. And in addition to a number of efforts backstage, we have created a special on-line fan carpooling service for this tour so you can bum rides off friendly folks and save some CO2 emissions in the process. If you'd like to sign up to volunteer, please click HERE.

If you're interested in knowing more and becoming involved, check out The Fray's greening website.

-David, The Fray, and REVERB
Well done guys! I hope to see them again on this tour. I got the chance to see them my senior year of college at Koka Booth in Cary... and it was FANTASTIC!!

{Rant} Dear Ikea

2009-05-19T21:21:00.001-04:00

I know you have my zip code associated with my email address.

The next time you want to send me an email with some pretty good deals, please be sure my "local" (Charlotte, NC) store is not specifically excluded from the promotion.

BOO.

The Next Post Won't Be About Twitter...

2009-05-12T12:06:00.002-04:00

...promise!

But this one will be, simply because one of my recent "tweets" (posts on twitter) garnered a lot of attention and feedback.My Initial Posts:
ncsulilwolf: 60% of Twitter users don't hang around. http://bit.ly/BlmhL
ncsulilwolf: The original report about Twitter Quitters is here: http://bit.ly/hs7Rb

Tagged Responses:
DeirdreReid: Here's my take on that - http://bit.ly/14WjWQ RT @ncsulilwolf: 60% of Twitter users don't hang around. http://bit.ly/BlmhL

CommunityMGR: RT @ncsulilwolf: The original report about Twitter Quitters is here: http://bit.ly/hs7Rb

zacktm: RT @ncsulilwolf 60% of Twitter users don't hang around. http://bit.ly/BlmhL

flipfloplisa: I bet the didn't follow cool people like I do- RT @ncsulilwolf: The original report about Twitter Quitters is here: http://bit.ly/hs7RbDeirdre's blog is a great read. IMHO (in my humble opinion), a 40% adoption rate is not cause to abandon twitter. In fact, in the internet world... I'd say that's pretty darn successful.

Why?

Twitter is not for everyone. Neither is facebook. Or email. It doesn't mean they can't be valuable tools though that can contribute added value as part of an integrated marketing communications plan.

(Plus, I'd like to think that one day, the spammers and non-value adding twitter-users will make up a good portion of that 60% that end up jumping ship.)

Twitter for Businesses

2009-05-07T13:19:00.002-04:00

This is a really great summary of just why Twitter CAN work for your business from the National Marine Manufacturers Association... that can really be applied to ANY industry.Twitter = Customer Service? Really?

You’ve heard the buzz about Twitter and, like many, are thinking it’s just another internet trend. Maybe. But, in the meantime, if you’re not using Twitter you’re missing an opportunity to manage your brand and communicate directly with the estimated 25 million people using Twitter worldwide. Most users are over the age of 25, meaning Twitter is not your teenager’s internet trend.

Instead of telling you how it can be your newest (and free) customer relations staff, let’s show you: Go here and type in your company or brand name. In real-time you receive a list of “tweets” or comments about your brand, from people within the 25 million-strong crowd. You can respond directly to complaints, quell rumors on the spot and address misconceptions about your product line. You can also reward loyal customers by sharing special offers.

Discover Boating and NMMA use Twitter to take the pulse of the news media (hundreds of reporters and producers use it to get story ideas and share what they’re working on) and understand consumers’ daily mood to determine the best way to communicate with them each day.Just remember this: once you join Twitter, generating posts of VALUE to your followers and engaging in conversations with them is what will ultimately bring you the most return on your time invested.

PS - You also shouldn't "protect" your posts... unless you don't want any followers. Good rule of thumb is that if you need to "protect" your posts or "go private" on your blogs... it probably shouldn't be written on the internet TO BEGIN WITH.

{Rave} Oh Thank Heavens!

2009-04-27T18:27:00.002-04:00

It took a few tries, but I finally found someone at GoDaddy who knew what I was trying to explain to them about my blog and helped me get back online (and that person was a girl, too)!

{If you've been too busy to notice, by entire blog was lost in the internet wonderland for a few days. Thank goodness you can rarely actually "delete" things from the internet!}

So, here I am... publishing to Blog.RaleighwoodMedia.com... finally! Be sure to update your links. The previous blog address will re-direct, but you can never be too safe.

YAY!

Good Rule of Thumb...

2009-04-22T12:10:00.003-04:00

...don't be a douche!Don't Be Your Own Worst Enemy

Working for blowhards is a bummer. Their caustic temperaments inevitably create toxic work environments, which in bars or restaurants, dissipate staff morale, undercut performance and foster the conditions for theft. Is it a leap in logic to presume that bartenders might find it easier to rip off a jerk of a boss?

Read the whole article from Nightclub & BarRobert shares some good points on ways to keep morale positive without sacrificing leadership roles or budgets!

Need a Sweet Job?

2009-04-21T13:13:00.004-04:00

This comes from my friends at Deep South (and no, the "Lisa" is not me) - they are wonderful local people and you will have a blast in just about any position with them.Need Work? Downtown Live is Hiring!

This year, Deep South will be hiring many more staff positions for Downtown Live than in years past. Because of the increase in new positions, we’ve decided to have a Job Fair.

Mark your calendars – Wednesday, April 29th, 2009 at 6pm, Downtown Live will be holding a Job Fair at Deep South The Bar. If you’re interested in being a part of the Downtown Live staff, please RSVP to Lisa@DeepSouthEntertainment.com. Positions range from hospitality runner to production crew interns, kids zone attendants to barbacks…and everything in between. All are welcome to attend. Attendees should come prepared to complete a Downtown Live employment application and to meet with the Downtown Live supervisors. All positions are contract labor and do not have taxes withheld.

Don’t worry…it’s not a typical “job interview,” it’s very informal. Though we all work very hard at Downtown Live, we also are very laid back. The Bar will be open, so feel free to bring friends, have some drinks, and hang out.

Deep South The Bar is located at 430 S. Dawson Street in Downtown Raleigh. It is on the corner of Dawson and Cabarrus, just minutes from the Raleigh Convention Center. All applicants between the ages of 18-20 are welcome to attend between the hours of 6pm-8pm. We cannot accept applicants under the age of 18.

Again, if you are interested in working and would like to attend the Downtown Live Job Fair, please RSVP to Lisa@DeepSouthEntertainment.com. Thanks! Look forward to hearing from you!

--LisaPLEASE feel free to re-post. Let's get people who WANT TO WORK into some paying jobs!

Image Source: RaleighDowntownLive.com

Something Stinks...

2009-04-05T00:21:00.005-04:00

...and it smells like a load of bull.

A while back, I posted my distaste for the XM/Sirius merger being approved by the DOJ on another blog and in some news comments.In my family, we have 2 XM subscriptions and 2 Sirius subscriptions (in 4 different vehicles). While I do like the idea that the merger of the two will bring the same content under one roof (giving me access to the channels I like in my sister’s car that I don’t have, and vice versa), do I think that the "’substantial’ cost savings" will be passed along to me as the consumer? Not a chance...

"The Justice Department said the combination would lead to ’substantial’ cost saving steps such as consolidating the line of radios they offer. It said those savings would ’most likely to be passed on to consumers in the form of lower prices.’"

"The antitrust decision shifts the spotlight to the FCC, which must determine whether the XM-Sirius is in the public interest, and whether to enforce its 1997 order barring either satellite radio company from acquiring the other."

Read the whole article online at: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSWAT00918420080325?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=10004
Guess what happened this year when our XM and Sirius accounts came up for renewal?

Previously included services (online radio) were now extracted and had to be paid for as a la carte add-ons AND the cost of service on both carriers has increased.
The thing that kills me - the two companies aren't operating as one.
We still get two separate bills and do not get to take advantage of discounts available with four lines of service.
OH! And to get the content on XM that was formerly exclusive to Sirius and vice versa, you also have to add on yet another a la carte option "The Best of Sirius".

So all of the proposed benefits? Non existent.
Competition in the market place? Slim to none.
Justice department anti-trust group doing their job? Sketchy at best.

Now, the DOJ wants more information on the proposed Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger.

Why? It's not like it'll make any difference.

I'm not holding my breath that our anti-trust, anti-monopoly authorities will come through here, either. What a shame. I can't tell you how much it thrills me to have such a low confidence in our government officials.

I'll stick with eTix as my preferred ticketing vendor, because at least they don't gouge my clients and event attendees.

/rant. (Thanks for letting me vent!)

Heart-Broken

2009-04-02T01:15:00.003-04:00

Nooooo!

This is what I encountered tonight (err, this morning - it is 1:00am):

It seems that Google is no longer developing Google Notebook. If you didn't get a chance to sign on before today, it looks like you won't be able to. SAD.

I was JUST thinking this week about sharing this (formerly) great resource on the business blog because it was a great place to consolidate notes, ideas, thoughts, to-do lists, etc. (A lot faster and organized than Google Docs, too... no matter what Google would like you to think.)

Dang, why couldn't this have been an April Fools prank?

Google, you're breakin' my heart!

You Want Me to Do What?

2009-03-31T16:01:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I wonder what people are thinking when they hit "send". Now, I won't ever being to claim that every email I've ever sent has made total sense or been flawless... but I was really thrown today when checking my email.

A local business (who shall remain nameless) sent me an email about participating in Earth Day with them. I could receive a special discount by bringing in items to donate and presenting my email coupon... that must be printed and surrendered to redeem offer. (Not in those exact words, but I'm trying not to incriminate the shameless here, since it's not really about being green... it's about bringing in business.)

Exactly how is asking hundreds, potentially thousands of customer to print something very eco-friendly?

Here are some alternatives: "say this password (insert clever marketing message here) at checkout", "text this message (insert also clever message here) to your self and your friends and present it at checkout", etc.

Or you know, just a simple "no need to print - just reference this email". Whatever floats your eco-friendly boat.

I am very, very happy to say that two of my clients use this tip very successfully. They make me so proud!

Oh Twitter

2009-03-31T09:00:00.000-04:00

Thoughts for Tuesday:"Curious and cantankerous, Steve dived into social media and started making delightful observations about his experience on Twitter. He recently sent me this comment about a power user he had started to follow: 'His constant, not-so-subtle harangue to get word of mouth going about his new start-up have made me very skeptical of Twitter ... so easy to be maudlin, so easy to pollute.'

I had a simple answer for Steve: Quit following the annoying bastard. Let's not forget that technology gives us both the power to connect and the power to pull the plug." - Death by a Thousand Tweets, Phil JohnsonSUCH a good perspective on Twitter. I mentioned in the article's comments that I rarely echo sentiments on social media word for word with others, but Phil hit the nail on the head for me.

Take five minutes to read his post. Not only is it a quick read, but also a must read.

That Internet Contraption

2009-03-29T22:35:00.003-04:00

As it turns out, it really does put information at our fingertips. So why aren't people capitalizing on that fact?

In the last few weeks, I've seen a few commercials that have included songs that I'd like to add to my iTunes collection. Now, I haven't been sold on the products/services being advertised, but at least someone is getting something out of the marketing investment.

Well, not in all cases. Here are two mini-case studies:AT&T and Amos' "Sweet Pea"

Troy-Bilt and "Shining Down" by Austin Hartley-Leonard

When I searched for the AT&T commercial, I eventually found out the artist is Amos Lee and that single is available on iTunes -- for instant download by yours truly (resulting in an instant sale for Amos AND an introduction to a fan... something that's incredibly valuable in the music industry).

When I searched for the Troy-Bilt song though, this is all that I could find:"Supposedly "Shinin' Down" sung by Austin Hartley-Leonard. Song's not available yet--was written specifically for this spot, or so says Yahoo Answers." (via YouTube comment) and "Correct, but song is unavailable as of yet" (yahoo answers).AT&T and Amos = Success.

Troy-Bilt and Austin Hartley-Leonard = not quite there.

All is not lost though, Austin does have a whole album on iTunes and I like what I hear... I just wish I could download the single from the commercial, too.

Open Source Tip from Lisa S.

2009-03-17T13:21:00.002-04:00

In its beta stage, Lisa S. shared this online utility for working with PDFs with me today. If you're not lucky enough to have Acrobat Pro or access to it, this is a *free* and powerful alternative.
http://www.pdfescape.com/

What Have I Done?

2009-03-16T13:27:00.003-04:00

When writing my professional credentials, bios, or even just introductions, I don't know why I keep having these blank thoughts. I have done A LOT.

But I've yet to really chronicle it well.

Adrianne's post on the idea of a "Career Log" inspired me to share an idea I've been tinkering with for some time now - chronicling all of the "hats I wear" (if you know me, you know there are A LOT).

If nothing else I'll start keeping a spreadsheet, text file, or presentation (more on this at the end of this post) of all the "hats I've worn" and what has been entailed with each, accomplishments, what I could've done better, and what I've learned.

That way, it'll just be a copy and paste thing in the future when I need to reference it, or for goal building.

PS - On this "presentation" thought, I've recently started archiving things by topic in PowerPoint presentations. Maybe it's a result of going to college in a tech-sector in the early 2000's. For me, it helps to put together a logical order and keep my info succinct, but allow room for connecting references (ie: weblinks, pictures, quotes), etc.

The Service Experience: Sprint/Nextel

2009-03-16T10:52:00.003-04:00

I am a Nextel faithful. I have had the direct connect service since high school and there is nothing that compares with it. Unfortunately, Sprint bought Nextel a few years back, and as predicted by Nextel customers, it was the end of all customer service as we know it.

Because of the insane amount of money that I spend with Sprint on a monthly basis (unlimited Blackberry service, unlimited mobile broadband card service), I get better customer service than most, but the service experience itself (quality of coverage, consistency of billing, amount and frequency of marketing message)... well that's just crap.

The biggest problem I have right now is this: I am a paperless girl. PLEASE send me my bill by email as a PDF and let's work together to endless printing and tree killing. I have not received a bill by email the last two months (and I've checked my spam filter and all the other little tricks). I DID however receive an email telling me my bill is two months past due. And three text messages.

So why the big complaint?1) My text messages are CONSISTENTLY a day late, or more. They are never instant. It's pretty much synonymous with Sprint.

2) I have a big problem with a service provider who cannot seamlessly provide its customers the services they are paying for in a consistent and timely manner and even more so when they can get THEIR messages to me though, when they feel I owe them too much money. (You can get the past due email to me, but not the monthly emails? You can get the "bill due" text message to me, but never any other texts?)
If I had received my bill as arranged to begin with, the payment due date and amount due would've gone immediately on my calendar with a 5-day reminder attached to it.

A disconnect in the service experience like this indicates two things to me as a consumer:1) They value me paying my bill more than they do actually providing the services I'm paying for.

2) I'm paying a premium for this provider but not receiving superior follow-through. Could I easily cut my bill by $50 a month with a competitor and receive the same quality of service? Betcha I could!

Hmm... decisions, decisions, decisions.

I will say one positive thing about Sprint - when you call the 888-number, you are almost always given the option in the voice prompts for "to speak to a representative, press 0". Definitely necessary to get a live body on the other end for issues like this.

No wonder Sprint keeps losing market share and brand value each quarter...

Monday Motivation

2009-03-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

I don't do a ton of AdvertisingAge reading, but I browse through the RSS feed titles at they pop up in my Google Reader.

The Small Agency Diary usually sticks more than anything else, for obvious reasons."Rather than doing more with less, let's find ways to deliver excellent value that people can afford. When someone tells us they have 20% less money, that's not necessarily bad news. We just need to think of a new approach and a new way of working so that our clients get inspired marketing and we make a profit. That's good business. All that has changed is the price point." -- Phil JohnsonI like it. Those are good thoughts to start a week with.

Free WiFi Coming to Downtown

2009-03-06T15:44:00.001-05:00

This will be AWESOME once it's in place!From the City of Raleigh email newsletter

City of Raleigh to Bring Free WiFi Network to Downtown

The City of Raleigh Information Technology Department has issued a request-for-proposals for the design and installation of a WiFi network in Downtown Raleigh. The goal of the project is to offer free, outdoor public WiFi access in the downtown area bordered by South Street, West Street, Morgan Street, and Person Street.

Working in cooperation with Downtown Raleigh Alliance, the WiFi network will support downtown revitalization efforts, including the reopening of Fayetteville Street to vehicular traffic, the opening of the Raleigh Convention Center and the highly anticipated opening of City Plaza in the fall. The City hopes to develop a marketing strategy for the WiFi network that will share in the success of the recently implemented downtown ‘You R Here’ brand and the R-Line downtown circulator bus service.

Free WiFi will be yet another valuable resource available to downtown residents, visitors and employees. The project is scheduled to be completed this fall. As work continues on the WiFi network, the City will release more detailed information about the project, including its planned coverage, marketing and branding, and schedule.

For more information, contact Jonathan Minter, Assistant Information Technology Director, at 996-5462.I can see it now - not having to use my wireless card in Downtown. Fabulous!

Stay On Top of Your Game

2009-03-04T14:02:00.004-05:00

I recently signed up for Google Alerts (in beta testing) for my own business and for many of the businesses that I work with. Once a week (or however often I prefer), Google sends me updates by email on each phrase I've set up an alert for. It's VERY cool.

Just today I received an update on "Buckhead Saloon" and found tons of videos on YouTube from our own customers. Almost all were actually pretty flattering, some were downright hilarious.

What did I do in response? Created a branded-YouTube channel for Buckhead Raleigh. I then added all of those videos that I could find related to this venue to Buckhead's "favorites" and added a link to our YouTube channel on all of our other social media (MySpace, facebook Page, Twitter, etc.). Our sales manager can now send instant examples to potential clients of just how local organizations, non-profits, etc. have held events at our venue and tons of success doing so. Greek Week 2008, anyone?

I hope everyone enjoys this free tip!

PS - Of course, there's a lot more that you can do with Google Alerts. I just chose to approach this one weekly report from an integrated marketing communications (IMC) approach.

A Free Plug for One of My Favorite NPOs

2009-03-03T00:37:00.003-05:00

If you personally know me, I don't even have to explain the background behind this or my love for this fantastic organization, group of people, and the families who benefit from their work. Read on from some "win-win" news from BBI.Hey everyone! We hope this finds you doing well!

Brittany’s Battle tries very hard to create “win-win” situations, especially in today’s difficult economic situation. If we can find a way to raise aware about the work that still needs to be done with regard to battle against cancer and promote a supporter at the same time – we are going to do it!

With that in mind, please check out the video below from our friend, Jason Michael Carroll (www.jasonmichaelcarroll.com).

As many of you know, Jason and Brittany were long time friends and his support means the world to Brittany’s Battle so won’t you help us support him? Call your local radio station and request “Where I’m From”, forward this to all your friends and family, and this spring, be sure to buy his new CD when it’s released.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8KzszkeYCQ

Also, if you haven’t gotten our newsletter or stopped by our website lately, be sure to do so. There are some exciting events on the horizon - including a performance at UNC Children’s Hospital by Lunch Money (www.lunchmoneymusic.com). Their wonderful children’s music is now available on their new CD, Dizzy!

Thanks for your support and enjoy the video and song by Jason.

Take care and God Bless,
Brittany’s Battle, Inc.
www.brittanysbattle.orgTuesdays and Wednesdays seem to get absolutely insane for me, so I like to start off the day with a good reminder of why I do what I do - help others do what is that they do! I'm meeting with the ladies from BBI this afternoon and can't wait to announce to the world (very soon) one of their most promising upcoming events.

ShareThis is a cool tool for enabling social bookmarking and sharing on any of your sites, blogs, etc.

Just this past January they launched a newsletter for publishers who use their tools that included some interesting usage data.My first thought is, looking at ShareThis usage and growth statistics for January 2009 - might facebook overtake email in the realm of sharing online content one day?

PS: The browser plug-in for Firefox kicks butt. You'll love it. It makes it SO easy to share content from the web on like 8418382 different platforms.

(Image: Sharethis.com)

{Double Post} Wear Your Colors Well

2009-02-24T14:00:00.000-05:00

Even if your office or organization is only 2 people large, I want to see the product of your team pride!The V Foundation 8th Annual 'Show Your Spirit' Campaign Begins : published at CarolinaNewswire.com - Stay on top of the day's business & technology news

Registration has begun for The V Foundation for Cancer Research’s 8th Annual “Show Your Spirit!” campaign. In conjunction with the start of the collegiate basketball tournament, companies, organizations and schools from across the country register to join together to raise funds for essential cancer research, on March 19th and 20th. With a minimum $5 donation to The V Foundation, participants “earn the right” to wear their favorite team apparel to work or school. Corporations are urged to match employee donations.

Corporate support aids in making The Foundation one of the nation’s leading fundraising organizations for cancer research. Team ESPN has partnered with The V Foundation on Show Your Spirit since the inception of the program. This year, through a generous donation from Nike, Inc., The V Foundation can once again assure participants that every penny of their $5 donation will directly fund cancer research. .

“Don’t Give Up… Don’t Ever Give Up!” buttons will be distributed to each participant to visibly commemorate support and remind others of the continued need for cancer research. Non-basketball fans are encouraged to participate, as well, in this grassroots campaign that nearly everyone can afford to support.Sign up and share your pics with your team spirit proudly displayed!

Go Pack and "Don't Give Up... Don't Ever Give Up!"

WTF of the Day

2009-02-17T13:06:00.001-05:00

44% of Small Businesses Still Don’t Have a Web Site

Say it ain't so!

A Short & Sweet on Surveys

2009-02-16T11:42:00.002-05:00

I don't usually like to re-publish things that other marketers have shared... I guess because I only agree with them half of the time. What can I say... I guess I march to the beat of my own drum.

I did however, like this very short and sweet post on survey building (short and to the point - that's my kind of business read!) shared via Strategic Guru on twitter:Five tips for better online surveysHappy Monday!

Chubbly Bubbly

2009-01-31T00:35:00.005-05:00

The (fairly new) Miller High Life campaigns are right up there when it comes to my favorite advertising campaigns.

Warning: This could be a spoiler... has anyone else seen this one running pre-Bowl as a intro?
(via Trendhunter)At "$100,000 a second", I think they're going be a crowd-favorite this year.

Could this be the Miller's answer to Bud's 2006 "Magic Fridge"?

PS - Apparently, 11 Super Bowl ads have been leaked ahead of game time. I refuse to watch them... that's the whole reason I watch the game if the Panthers (or Texans, or Titans) aren't playing!

PS#2 - I definitely just became a fan on facebook:
Kudos to whoever created this entire campaign... the only thing I could quickly find was that the Bowl ad was done by Saatchi & Saatchi, NY.

Free Real Estate Tip of the Day: Ditch the Desk

2009-01-28T16:40:00.002-05:00

I was with a client just a few days ago looking at a very high end home that had - you guessed it - a desk built into the kitchen.

A few years ago, this was super standard in larger kitchens, but it's on the decline now and I believe that's with good reason.1) It's a place that inadvertently collects crap and clutter. No one wants that in the kitchen!

2) If you're "laptopping it" with your email and recipes, you can do that on a good amount of counter space to begin with and the laptop can still call the office "home".

3) These built-in desks are usually positioned lower - at a "seated" chair position. It's just awkward and screws up the flow of the counters. Plus, most kitchens function better and look better with high stools/bar chairs. Once again, a "W" (a win) for the laptop on the regular counter/bar option.Check out the rest of the Home Fads That Are Falling Out of Place from this month's Realtor(R) Magazine Online.

I personally don't agree with all of them, especially because some trends just don't translate locally the same (ie: fireplaces - they CAN stay. This is still the South and unless you're in a always hot locale in a small flat, it's still a major "want" for many buyers), but it's got some good tips and fresh perspectives nonetheless.

{Double Post} Dear XM Radio

2009-01-28T12:38:00.001-05:00

This is a {Double Post} from my personal blog, because I believe it's a prime example of how NOT to conduct your business.

Every morning that I'm planning on being in the office for a bit, I launch Firefox and XMRadio.com so I can listen to The Highway (formerly Highway 16) and whatever else fits my fancy that day.

Today, this is what I was greeted with:"Screw that." - was my first response. "I beg you pardon?" - was my second.

Let me preface this by saying that every single vehicle in my family has either XM or Sirius radio. Thanks to the merger, XM/Sirius has a good deal of business with us. Each vehicle has a removable satellite radio unit so we can use them in the house, on the boat, wherever. Technically, I could do the same in my office, but the reception isn't great since this is a commercial building constructed of primarily metal. I am however, not above engineering up a solution to avoid being charged for something I've always been provided as an included service.

Plus, the online radio service isn't THAT good anyway. The "what's playing now" feature (so you can see what's on other stations before you change the channel) never auto-updates anymore.

Finally, I'm not the world's best copywriter, but I'm pretty sure I could've damn well figured out a better, more eloquent way to say "renew your contract now if you still want this free service of be prepared to ante up more money". Don't play games with me XM, I will win.

PS - XM Radio... I HOPE you find this blog post and feel a little embarrassed. I would too if I were you.

[End Rant]

A Little Bit of Common Sense...

2009-01-27T20:42:00.003-05:00

...can go a long way!

Recruiting Southern Style is the business blog from a blogger that I follow. Today she posted about downsizing, something that we're seeing happen more and more because of the current state of our economy.

Personally, it's one of the the things I find most annoying about this current downturn in the pace of business.

Yes, I wrote "annoying".

I wrote "annoying" because many, many times it's not about a staunch need to cut workforce at all - it's generally the result of management refusing to take a hard look at other areas of their business.

Yes, I will concede that payroll is a major (if not the largest) area of expense for businesses, but cutting people is often one of the quickest ways to hurt any pace or growth of business you're benefiting from.

This is what struck me most about "Recruiting Southern Style"'s post - and why I felt the need to re-post:"I hope these trying times find you safe and gainfully employed by companies that will take a deep breath, look at the situations, and do what they can to cut cost rather than people. Things like voluntary attrition, reduced spending from the top down. But if not, I hope you find solace in knowing being down sized is now longer seen as reflection on you but rather more of a reflection on poor management."Read Recruiting's full post here.

Security Innovations from Bank of America

2009-01-26T14:32:00.002-05:00

As I was logging into BankofAmerica.com today, this information was delivered to me before my account info:The new SafePass card is our latest, most advanced technology for Online Banking security, offering you our highest level of convenience, control and protection for your online banking transactions.

Now you can get our most secure feature for Online Banking, SafePass, in a convenient card option to carry in your wallet or purse. Just push the button on your SafePass card and your six-digit code is generated and revealed on the card's innovative display screen. Whether you use the new SafePass card option or receive your SafePass code as a text message2 to your cell phone, your Online Banking security has never been better.That's pretty sweet if you ask me. I know people whose credit cards and online accounts generate one-time use random numbers for them to shop online with, but I've never heard of a card that displays it on a screen (ON THE CARD!) or will text it to you.

Makes me re-think the legitimate-ness of texting of business a bit.

There is a one-time fee of $19.99 in the fine print, but that seems small compared to the cost of fixing identity fraud.

"Driving" Your Brand Home

2009-01-26T14:06:00.003-05:00

I received a flyer in the mail today for a new local advertising program: Tee Time North Carolina.

There aren't any locations close enough to the shop that I was interested in advertising with at the moment (and I also didn't think the rates were very competitive for small businesses), but nonetheless, I still think it's a pretty cool idea.The only thing I could see being an issue for me is weathering. I'm very particular about brand management, so if maintenance wasn't a key factor for this provider, I could get disappointed very quickly. Lots of our clients enjoy golf and golfers could be a good demographic for us is why I was particularly interested and bothered to check out the website provided on the flyer.

PS: This is not a sponsored post - so if the folks behind TeeTimeNC.com happen to find this blog by way of Google Analytics - how about a free month of advertising?

Anyone else have any fun, creative advertising outlets to share?

"Show Hungry Who's Boss"

2009-01-21T00:17:00.004-05:00

Marketing kid confession - I LOVE a good commercial. Note: I said GOOD commercial.

One of my favorite current campaigns is Weight Watcher's new "Momentum" plan, specifically the new mascot... "Hungry".Here's one video from the series on YouTube
You can check out the whole series on the "Lose for Good" YouTube page.

Dear Apple...

2009-01-16T16:33:00.001-05:00

How hard would it be to give me multiple email marketing sign-up options?

Yes, I would love to receive an email once every Tuesday with new album, single, and video releases available on iTunes. However, I don't particularly care to get three emails a week - especially when two aren't relevant (I'm not an Oprah groupie, sorry!).

Sheez.

There's another email list I just unsubscribed from.

Finally!

2009-01-05T00:04:00.004-05:00

One of the major drawbacks of having a Windows Live Workspace has finally been eliminated: the (in)ability to connect with a Blackberry!

I personally am tech-savvy enough that I don't require the assistance of Windows Live to update my website or check my email, but its super easy to navigate interface and the capability of accessing your entire account (email, contacts, documents, website, etc.) from anywhere in the world with an internet connection is perfect for my dad and other users of our corporate account.

Obviously, you can imagine my excitement when I went to Nextel.Blackberry.com and entered my corporate email addy and password (just out of curiosity, to see if the two finally decided to be friendly) and voila - I was instantly configured and received a "success" message on my device.

Way to go guys!!!

PS - There is still one drawback on the Blackberry side of things... the (insert your service provider here).Blackberry.com manager doesn't work with Firefox. LAME! I hate having to switch to IE to change my email signature. Maybe they'll stumble across this blog and fix that :-)

Unsubscribe vs. Update Your Email

2008-12-24T00:49:00.004-05:00

I really wouldn't think this would be such a tough topic for email marketers to understand.

I can't even begin to tell you how many emails I receive each day at the email address that I'm migrating away from (because as soon as I leave Road Runner, I'll lose it) and how many companies would miss the chance to market to me if I didn't take the time to return to their site and re-sign up for their email newsletter... all because of one simple mistake:they only provided me with a link to unsubscribe from their newsletter... rather than a link to manage my preferences/online profile/information or to update my email address!I can guarantee you that there are many busier (or lazier) individuals out there who will just click "unsubscribe" and go about their merrily. What are you left with? A shrinking audience.

Remember - visitors to your website and subscribers to your email newsletters need to be handed their options on a silver platter in the easiest to navigate and understand manner as possible. Without boiling your content down to it's most basic essence, you might unknowingly compromise your effectiveness and (gasp!) - your audience altogether.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and best wishes for a successful 2009!

Email Marketing Surprise

2008-11-24T23:02:00.003-05:00

Forever 21 - the discount trend retailer - just sent me a snazzy little email offering up $300 gift certificates to the first visitors in participating stores on Black Friday, etc., etc.

No surprise there.

This was the shocking part, nicely embedded between the Black Friday details and an offer for free standard shipping with orders over $75 or more:
(Click to enlarge)"Join us in supporting the American Auto Industry"?

Well that's something I've never seen before from a clothing retailer... at least as a "cause".

Personal Peeve: Facebook Fakers

2008-11-17T14:46:00.002-05:00

It makes me cringe when I get a "friend request" from a business, organization, or association. I cringe less significantly when it's a group, but there's still a little sting.

This is a classic case of jumping right in without a little doing research.

Those who would take a little time to explore facebook and learn about its features would have learned a few things that would make them appear less "new" at this social networking game:1. Profiles are for people. How in the world can I really be "friends" with an organization? I can be a fan, but not a friend. 9 times out of 10, unless it's something or someone I really care about, I deny the request until the group can get it together and make a page.

2. Pages give you "insights", which are facebook's versions of watered-down analytics. That's valuable info my friends, not to be tossed by the wayside lightly.

3. The number one reason I don't want to "friend" you or join your "group" is because I don't want you poking, writing on my wall, or messaging the heck out of me. That's what updates are for, and when they're sent out in their rightful place, they're received with higher effective rates.So please, stop making yourselves look so ridiculous.

Also, from what I hear... they make you pay to create a profile as a non-personal entity. Throwing away money on something they're giving away for free are we? Bad form.

/rant. Thanks for letting me vent!

Like to Save $700?

2008-11-14T13:09:00.003-05:00

I sure do!

Good news in the real estate world today - thanks for the heads up, Ashton!HUD Issues New Mortgage Rules to Help Consumers Shop for Lower Cost Home Loans
New 'Good Faith Estimate' will help borrowers save nearly $700

WASHINGTON - For the first time in more than 30 years, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today issued long-anticipated mortgage reforms that will help consumers to shop for the lowest cost mortgage and avoid costly and potentially harmful loan offers. HUD will require, for the first time ever, that lenders and mortgage brokers provide consumers with a standard Good Faith Estimate (GFE) that clearly discloses key loan terms and closing costs. HUD estimates its new regulation will save consumers nearly $700 at the closing table.It took 30 years to make this happen? Click through to read all the details from this week's news release.

Don't Underestimate Technology

2008-11-12T12:15:00.002-05:00

I was just reading up on the Simply Stated: Technology blog this morning where the writer talks about the advantages of predictive text and how it enables smart phones to facilitate faster texting, emailing, etc. It got me thinking about one of my biggest pet peeves: advertisers who don't accommodate for new technologies.

How many times have you heard or read an advertisement, or even just a supporting document, that instructs you to dial "1-800-TEC-HELP" (or something along those lines), but because you have a Blackberry (and the copywriter forgot to provide you with the 1-800-832-4357 below the easy to remember phrase)... you just couldn't! Unless you have a traditional keyboard phone handy, chances are you forgot to follow-up on the task at hand later.

As common place as technologies like this are becoming , we are moving away from standard formats. If businesses don't accommodate for these changes, we run the risk of losing interest and potential business.

The Mother of All Blog Giveaways

2008-11-09T17:09:00.003-05:00

...which no, I am not hosting (but I definitely think it's worth acknowledging in my business blog).

One of my favorite personal blogs to follow is Lauren's at Adventures of a Southern Newlywed. A few weeks ago, she posted about how her husband had gifted her with a Keurig - one of the coolest cup-at-a-time brewing systems - something I've seen popping up in corporate world since last winter and now personal worlds... a lot lately.

They really are a neat little system with very little mess (see the official Keurig website for how it give you lots of coffee/tea/beverage choices in little pre-packed cups and brews them each individually) for brewing beverages, but at cup-at-a-time rate - which is great for cutting down on waste and costs (which is my guess as to the source of the backbone of their success in business settings).

Anyways, back to tying this into business - lots of brands are standing up and taking note of personal bloggers and their influence on their followers and offering up free products for the bloggers (usually females, as I've noticed) to give away on their blogs in a contest for one of the lucky readers who make themselves known and leave a comment.

Keurig has offered Lauren their Platinum home model - which at $199.95 MSRP - is no small gimme!

My question for business-followers out there is this - are you participating the blogworld, do you know who is talking about your products (or would be interested in your products), and are you turning that into a revenue stream?

If not, it's so worth a shot. (You can't tell me you haven't heard the old addages about the power of word-of-mouth.)
"Media Guerilla points to interesting research from Intelliseek that finds that consumers are '50% more likely to be influenced by word-of-mouth recommendations from their peers than by radio/TV ads.'”
Source: Business Week

Enough said.

(Note: As always, this is not a paid endorsement of Keurig, just an observation from my own personal Google Reader subscriptions of how businesses are leveraging the power of social media.)

Two Years Later - Really?

2008-11-07T18:48:00.002-05:00

Email marketing tip of the week: always build your contact list, but please... don't wait two years to send the first communication!

During January of 2007, about 20 of my sorority sisters and I visited Washington, D.C. for a weekend of celebrating the installation of a new chapter of Pi Beta Phi at GWU. During this time, we chose to stay at the D.C. Hampton Inn (which is not my preferred choice of hotels, but the D.C. HI was nonetheless very nice, well-equipped, centrally-located and very well-priced).

I made my reservation online, received the confirmation emails, etc. and went along my merrily. A great time was had by all and the weekend was a great success.

Point of the story? Here I am in November of 2008, nearly two years later, checking my email when what should appear in my inbox other than a promotional message from "my friends at the Hampton Inn - D.C." - the first promotional message at that.

Seriously?

The most ironic part is that I was actually just in D.C. last weekend. Luckily, I stayed with friends and didn't need a hotel, but wouldn't it have made better sense for the Hampton Inn to occasionally contact me every few months or so after my stay instead of two years later? Just imagine how many times I could've realistically visited D.C. since.

Long story short: building an email list is great. Waiting two years to put it to good use? Slack.

PS - Since making my January 2007 reservation, my email address has changed as I've migrated away from my ISP-specific email address (here's hoping I'll one day be able to get away from the mini-monopoly that is Time Warner Cable). Luckily for the sender, I have it forward to my Gmail address, but MANY emailers aren't that tech-savvy... I wonder what their bounce rates were like!

White Paper Quickie

2008-10-29T10:44:00.002-04:00

I've mentioned Marcia Yudkin and her Marketing Minute before - this week, she mentioned that she's making available (without having to give up your contact information) a 12-page pdf white paper on Thriving During a Recession and encouraging those who enjoy it to pass it along for free to their colleagues and peers.

I've just downloaded it and will be reading it tonight!

You Can't Afford to Not Know...

2008-10-24T19:30:00.000-04:00

...where 2008's candidates stand on business (particularly, small business) issues."What’s not rhetoric are the facts. America’s small businesses employ about half of all Americans, account for more than half of the nation’s GDP, and have, since the mid 1990s, created around 80 percent of all net new jobs. That’s why we matter. That’s why we should matter more." - Rieva LesonskyI'll keep bumping this blog post up to the front page as I find more relevant info to share - please feel free to share your own sources in the comments, too.

Here we go:From BusinessWeek - McCain and Obama on Small Business Issues
From Inc.com - The Entrepreneur's Guide to the Elections
From YoungEntrepreneur.com - Who is More Small Business Friendly?
From Bizwomen.com - Hey, candidates, what about entrepreneurs?
From Inc.com blogs - Obama blows off small businesses, again (although, both sides look to be guilty here)
From Inc.com blogs - McCain reverses himself on the economy, again
From Inc.com blogs - Obama Unveils Small Business Rescue -- And Boosts SBAAnd with time ticking down to election day... I found just what I needed - a side-by-side comparison of the candidates from the NFIB (National Federation of Independent Business):Where They Stand On The Issues - A Side-By-Side Comparison

Keep Doing What You're Doing

2008-10-18T16:40:00.003-04:00

I know that I'm surrounded by good business people because nearly everyone I know is personally connected, and connects their business, to one or more great causes.

Even though the economy is a bit - gross? - right now, there's good news for those who've continued supporting their favorite causes:Cause-related marketing still works, study shows

"In this experiment, products with cause-related marketing enjoyed as much as a 74 percent increase in sales compared to products with generic ads.

Participants spent nearly twice as much time looking at cause-related ads compared to generic ads. Lead researcher Gavan Fitzsimons said, “Consumers are paying more attention to cause messages, and as a result, are more likely to purchase them.”

The second part of the study, an online survey of more than 1,000 Americans, showed that the cause, the nonprofit organization associated with it, and the product itself are all important factors in the purchase decision."The linked article above notes the most favored types of campaigns but there's one segment I think they're sorely missing: animals and rescue organizations. Maybe that's grouped into one of their broader category titles.

A few (but in no way all) of my favorite local causes (in no particular order):
SPCA of Wake County
Brittany's Battle
Racing Heroes Charity Auction
Dress for Success - Triangle NC Affiliate

GoDaddy.com

2008-10-17T14:17:00.003-04:00

GoDaddy.com because of their cheesy superbowl advertising with less than classy depictions of women, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I can look past that when they give me the capability to call them at 3am on Sunday morning to fix my website.

If you're considering DIY-ing some (or all) of your website/email/domains/etc. (which you should - your phone company/website provider/whoever should NEVER be able to hold any part of YOUR business hostage and prevent you from maintaing it on your own, should you so choose - but that's beside the point), I highly recommend GoDaddy.com for domains and hosting because honestly, I find it incredibly useful to have everything grouped together in one nice place with one username, password, and passcode* and be able to instantly have someone answer the phone who can ACTUALLY HELP you.

LOVE IT.

*Ever tried to get anything done through a vendor's customer service only to be blocked because you don't remember whatever random word you're supposed to say? Insert frustrated face there.

PS - Seriously, take a "intro to web design" or "web design for the real world" class (and even better, big ol' series of classes) at your local community college and learn to do some of it on your own.

PS 2 - While it's super easy to learn to maintain sites on your own, I do recommend getting a freelance or small agency "designer" to build your layout... it'll be a lot prettier.

Totally Warranted Double Post

2008-10-15T15:03:00.002-04:00

Double post from my Southern blog, because I feel that everyone in the world needs to know this.

Restore Previous Session?

Why yes, Firefox, I would like for you to restore my previous session that was unexpectedly closed and thank you!

I open up things in browser windows that I always have the best of intentions of reading sometime later but my new computer has this nasty habit of automatically rebooting... just because it feels like it (Windows Update, maybe?).

Once again, Firefox almost always saves the day and all I have to do is click on the nice little fox icon and voila... I'm back in business.

If you don't use Firefox, you should.Don't even wait 30 more seconds, go get it now.

A Possible Alternative to a Smart Phone

2008-10-11T12:19:00.002-04:00

If you just can't make the switch to a smart phone, but you hate being disconnected from email (or you suck at checking your email - be honest!), this might be a good choice for you with no long-term service contracts.

From Simply Stated - Technology: Email and Nothing Else

I'm way too much of a techy (and have umpteen email addresses), so this wouldn't work for me... but it might for quite a few others I know!

Another Great Business Event from NCSU

2008-10-09T14:36:00.002-04:00

I received this directly in my email inbox today... looks like a good series after reading up on the summary from the Oct. 3 ERM Roundtable with Jim Traut of Heinz.Enterprise Risk Management Initiative Roundtable
Friday, November 7, 2008

Register Online

SPEAKER
Drew Zavatsky
Office of Financial Management
State of Washington
Olympia, Washington

DATE & TIME
Friday, November 7, 2008
Our event begins at 8:00 a.m., with coffee and pastries available at 7:30 a.m.

LOCATION
Wachovia IMAX Building at Marbles Kids Museum, Raleigh, NC

Register for this event
Click here to read a summary of the October 3rd ERM Roundtable!

If you have any problems with the link above, please visit www.ermevents.com to register.

If you have any questions please e-mail us.

www.erm.ncsu.edu

We've Said it Before...

2008-10-09T11:20:00.004-04:00

Both Peggy and I constantly preach about the necessity of a branded email address and yet still... some folks are missing the boat. Check out her blog post from today that covers another reason to brand your email address: because AOL, BellSouth, and Yahoo aren't paying you for the free exposure you're offering up!

While we're at it, if you engage in any sort of email promotion or marketing, please take 30 seconds to familiarize yourself with the guiding principles that are the CAN-SPAM Act. (No one wants to be fined up to $11,000 by the FTC.)

Prime Example: Since activating my NC real estate license, I have received numerous unsolicited emails about property listings that not only don't include opt-out methods, but when I've contacted the actual sales team, they can't come up with a concrete answer for how they actually received my email address (although they swear the TMLS didn't sell it to them... I am a bit doubtful and will be making a few calls today).

What kills me is that they are for properties that are available for sale in areas that not only am I not any sort of interested in, but neither are any of my clients. Having your email address marked as "spam" by Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, Bellsouth, and Road Runner personal email users will get you automatically sent to the spam folder very quickly. (And let's not even mention the black-hole that is emails that are automatically blocked by these ISP before the ever even get to the spam folder...)

Working on the Go?

2008-10-06T12:16:00.001-04:00

I shared this on my personal blog today, and thought it is incredibly relevant for business travelers, too!

How cool is it that you don't have to get on the super slow internet on your phone (or worse - no internet at all) or listen to the ads on "Free 411" (1-800-373-3411) anymore.

Once again, thank you Google for making life just that much easier.

1-800-GOOG-411 (466-4411)Put it in your cell phone address book/contact list now if this is the first time you've heard of this!

Oh Nextel...

2008-10-05T12:00:00.000-04:00

...you merge with Sprint, we forgo amazing customer support, AND our new phones still take 2 years to come along?!

Absolutely can't wait for this new Blackberry to make it on to the Nextel network. I will have a full keyboard for emailing/texting (although not so PC for business) from the boat, the bar, or ... eek... while in the car and not from this modified keyboard on a brick!

Naturally, my Nextel partner-in-crime sent me a email the other day with only this info:From: Brandon
To: Lisa
Subject: new bb info

http://www.sprintenterprise.com/newphones/curve.htmlNo other explanation needed.

From the tech world - they must have been thinking about me exactly when they wrote this:"Sprint today unveiled the BlackBerry Curve 8350i Push-to-Talk for its cute little Nextel customers. Our wild guess is that this is a limited run, aimed at the last four people on earth who somehow need a real business smartphone but still use Nextel."Absolutely, spot on.

I have also dearly missed the built-in camera feature for those random times when my digital camera is nowhere near:"The BlackBerry Curve 8350i smartphone offers a 2 megapixel camera with video recording and a microSD memory card slot, which ensures that you will have plenty of storage for pictures and music. The handset features on-board GPS navigation, an integrated music player, and Bluetooth A2DP stereo connectivity."No pricing and no date info yet? Bad form Nextel/Sprint... bad form. Basic principles of services marketing tell us that consumers respond better to a given wait time up-front than no estimate at all - they even interpret the wait as long than actual experienced when they aren't given an approximate wait time.

10/5/08 Update: Video preview!! Please, please, please let this be here before Christmas so I can get one in my stocking!

NCSU College of Management's Executive Lecture Series

2008-09-25T11:00:00.000-04:00

I was lucky enough to attend quite a few of these past seminars during undergrad (featuring CEOs from Gregory Poole, Progress Energy, etc.) and I'm going to do my best to make it to this fall's 2008 events... especially Coca-Cola CEO J. Frank Harrison's event (one of the country's strongest brands).
The Wachovia Executive Lecture Series

Monday, October 13, 2008
J. Frank Harrison, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Coco-Cola Bottling Company

Monday, November 10, 2008
Ursula M. Burns, President
Xerox

Wednesday, November 19th, 2008
William J. Amelio, Chief Executive Officer & President
LenovoPresentations are held 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. in 3400 Nelson Hall (Nelson Auditorium). Directions to the College are available online.

OCD Like Me?

2008-09-24T18:00:00.000-04:00

For those of you who hate to live under a mountain of paper (even if it's all filed away) like me, here's a helpful guide from the BBB on when you can dispose of certain types of paper trails.BBB Offers Guide on When to Dispose of Sensitive Documents
(source: CarolinaNewswire.com)Also noted in the press release: he BBB of Eastern NC is also having a shredding event for those of you who don't have one in each office (home and work)... like those of us overly cautious folks who shred everthing.The BBB of Eastern North Carolina will host local shredding events for individuals and small businesses on Saturday, Sept. 20 at Ridgewood Shopping Center (3514 Wade Ave., Raleigh, NC 27607) and Falls River Town Center (1151 Falls River Ave., Raleigh, NC 27614). The free events will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.9/24/08 Update: Over 540 attendees shredded over 13 tons of documents - read the whole press release here!

Marcia Yudkin's "Marketing Minute"

2008-09-24T12:04:00.004-04:00

I believe it was Mandy Becker from Swagger Gifts who forwarded me a copy of Marcia Yudkin's "Marketing Minute" that got me interested enough to subscribe to her weekly email series for marketers and business-owners. (Of course, since it's a free service, it's not too in-depth and always precedes a pitch about her marketing consulting services, but I see absolutely no problem with that.)

My favorite thing about the weekly eNewsletter is that it literally only takes about a minute to read but definitely makes me think a little more "outside the box" when it comes to marketing and, more often than not, spurs some thought and creativity about an area of marketing that I had not previously thought too much about. The topics are almost always translatable to any industry, too.

To subscribe, just visit her website here.

To give you a taste, today's topic was about answering or responding to any concerns your customers may have, before they even arise. If you put yourself in your target audience's shoes and provide any support you may need ahead of time, you gain some great credibility by calming those concerns in advance and showing that you clearly understand their role as well as yours in the business-customer relationship. Check it out in more detail on her "This Week's Issue" page. (Note: It doesn't seem to be updated from last week at the moment, but I can't imagine it'll be too long before she updates it.)

Holy Mother of...

2008-09-15T17:38:00.002-04:00

From TBJ: United doubles fee for second checked bag."Airline parent UAL Corp. (Nasdaq: UAUA) said Monday that United's current $25 fee will jump to $50 for domestic travel booked on or after Sept. 16 for flights taking off Nov. 10 or later."Sheez. Double cross United off my list of preferred airlines. Delta is right there beside them.

(Mental note to self: you're flying Delta to Vegas in February '09... pack lightly.)

Southwest customer for life right here. Jet Blue can also have my vote if they had better flights out of the Triangle. And if Virgin ever heads our way... I'm SO there.

Sam's Club

2008-09-10T14:32:00.002-04:00

I am NOT a Wal-Mart fan... but it's really hard to not enjoy the perks of buying in bulk and on discount from it's retail brother: Sam's Club.

What CAN'T you buy for your business from the wholesale club?

As I mentioned on my shopping blog today, you can buy your business checks there, too!

Here's to putting that membership fee to good use.

Rave: Microsoft - Part 1

2008-08-26T12:08:00.003-04:00

Really? Yes, really!

The whole reason I'm writing this post is because of my genuine surprise at how wonderful my last few experiences with Microsoft have actually been - which is totally unexpected when dealing with a global technology giant.

Now - don't get me wrong - I'm a huge open-source fan (Google Docs, Calendar, and Groups are some of the best inventions EVER for sharing work or info among co-workers, affiliates, franchises, friends or family) who encourages fair competition but I now believe that one of the reasons Microsoft does so well for itself is becuase of this type of support. (I'm still really irritated over the whole Outlook 2007/HTML email issues, though.)

Microsoft Customer Support Rave - Part #1
I recently destroyed a Microsoft wireless mouse (not on purpose), but as everyone knows, it's impossible to do a lot of work on a laptop with a track pad.

So off I went to pick up some printing from Office Depot and grabbed another Microsoft wireless mouse to replace my old one (it worked well, I liked the brand, I went with it) and how nice... snagged a $10 mail-in rebate, too.

In my rush to clean-up, I threw away the original packaging which included the proof of purchase from the box. DANG IT!

Being convinced that I could possibly still save $10, I called the 1-800 number on the mail-in rebate receipt and was quickly answered by a human who I could understand perfectly who informed me that I could include a copy of the first page of the manual (which luckily, I tossed in the software/CD drawer of my desk) or copy of the installation CD cover as proof.

How simple was that? And I still saved those lovely ten dollars.I was really impressed and satisfied. Guess who'll be replacing this one (should it ever fail me) with another Microsoft wireless mouse? This girl right here!

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Microsoft Rave to come in a few days.

Go Green

2008-08-25T23:05:00.003-04:00

I keep finding more and more that the real estate industry isn't very green... but it's very slacking of effort if you ask me. The simple utilization of Adobe Professional (for completing forms and applying signatures) could cut down on well... how many trees we're cutting down.

Here are some simple, but easily forgettable if we don't remind ourselves, tips of how to go even just a little green on a limited small business budget from Expert Business Source - check 'em out!

As I noted in the comments on the EBS article, here are a few more simple additions that I've implemented myself: a great scanner and Adobe Pro (so you can complete forms, sign them, and email them right back) to cut down on the paper trail, ink, printer power, etc.

Are Your Emails Outlook 2007-Proof?

2008-08-19T21:27:00.003-04:00

Quick Tip: Be sure that any email communication you're sending render as expected in Outlook 2007.

I recently upgraded to Office 2007 (which definitely slowed me down by at least a week with all the freakin' changes to the appearance) with the purchase of a new laptop and in the last month have unsubscribed from at least 30 email subscriptions that I use to at least skim if nothing else.

Luckily (as I see it), they were all random big corporation ones, so I'm not really missing out, but for any of you small business folks out there... be sure you're getting what you expect (or pay for, if you're using Constant Contact, etc.). Many of the online services have taken action to try and make their templates compatible... but one I used today happened to not be... so always just double check - especially if you're paying for a service.

If you want to test yours before sending them out, I'll be glad to review it for you - just email me: Lisa.Jeffries@gmail.com.

I won't even try to be a definitive source on what makes an email Outlook 2007-proof... but here's a good place to start: CampaignMonitor.

Traveling Abroad?

2008-08-18T12:42:00.002-04:00

Save some money on your pre-trip preparations with these new options in passport photos:Businesses compete on passport programs... travelers win!Definitely sign up for RSS updates/feeds from Sue Stock's retailing blog - not only can you save money as a traditional consumer with her tips, but you can also save money as a business consumer, too.

Here is a link to the US Department of State's information on passports while I'm at it.

Don't forget - always know your source! A official website, such as one maintained by the official government department regarding the topic (if available), is your best source of any clear and complete information for important things such as being able to travel out (and more important - get back in to) your home country.

120th Annual Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting

2008-08-17T23:28:00.003-04:00

Man I'd love to go to this... not sure about the $85 ticket price though :-(
Ben Stein to Headline Chamber MeetingThanks for the tip, Dana!

Blogworthy Update

2008-08-14T12:23:00.002-04:00

A while back, I wrote a post about "business as usual" and what a shame it was that such glaringly awful mishaps are taking place in the business world on a regular basis.

I've just updated the above referenced post with a link to another clever business blog written by a fellow female entrepreneur... with just as many ridiculous business world stories to share. Be sure to subscribe to her feed so we can all enjoy a little laugh and learn from the downfalls of others... so that we can hopefully keep ourselves from every making any of our own blogs on "how not to do business".

Why Banks are SO Bad at Marketing

2008-08-14T11:54:00.003-04:00

Why Banks are SO Bad at Marketing
And what you can learn from their mistakes.

This is the type of information that I probably shouldn't be giving away for free - but hey... it's my blog and I get to call the shots right?

I won't highlight my particular bank(s) by name who has(have) made the terrible mistakes I'm about to highlight, but really, they all do it. So it's not really important to name names anyway.

So why is it that I ~~feel~~ (strike that) know banks are so bad at marketing? Because I have to discard 99% of the marketing messages I receive from them because they just don't apply to me. SAD - what a waste of a marketing department.

Take my email inbox for my family business this morning for example: our bank was offering me a business card offer too good to pass up! A VISA for business with a starting credit line of $25,000, no fees, etc., etc. Cool right? Yep - and it was cool 10 years ago, too when our company acquired one for each of our owners.

I can hear you asking now: "so what's the big deal?"

The big deal is that I receive this offer probably every month from my bank via email and about the same frequency via postal mail, too. Since our company already has three, there's really no "introduction" going on here. We're set in that department and if we weren't, I'd know where to go. Add all of those impressions up over and time and that's potentially a lot of money being spent on trying to acquire a customer who has already been acquired.

The same goes for their constant attempts to have be go paperless, engage in online bill pay, etc., etc. - all of which are things I am already enrolled in and have been since their inception.

The sad part of this story is that not only SHOULD my bank(s) know these things, but that they DO know them and just aren't using their CRM (customer relationship management) data effectively.

Take note, this is where your light bulb should be brightest: It really only takes a little more time (which I know, equates to a little more money) to properly segment and target your marketing messages so that you are offering the correct services and benefits to the correct customers - those who need it. That extra investment in the quality and appropriateness of marketing messages can really show a significantly higher return on investment than not using it at all.

Not Totally Business Related...

2008-08-13T13:33:00.002-04:00

...but newsworthy (pun totally intended) nonetheless!

Thanks for the tip, Ashton!

From the N&O: CNN plans small bureau in Triangle

Yet Another Reason to Call NC Home

2008-08-07T19:35:00.001-04:00

Some good news for a bummed-out market - from TBJ:Study: N.C. has lowest closing costs on mortgages